Lithonia, Ga.—Wendover Housing Partners is preparing to break ground on Granite Crossing, an affordable, multifamily apartment property in Lithonia, Ga., which is in eastern DeKalb County. The apartments will be located in downtown Lithonia Plaza, with work starting in August.

Granite Crossing will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units with monthly rent ranging from $750 to $1,000. Common amenities will include a clubhouse with a fitness area, computer lab and an activity room for after-school programming. Residents will also have access to an on-site outdoor splash park and playground equipment.

To make way for construction of the $14.7 million Granite Crossing, crews have begun demolishing a former 80,000-square-foot city-owned building on the site. That structure has been vacant since 2009 and was recently accepted into the State of Georgia’s brownfield program.

Remediating the environmentally challenged site was originally considered to be cost prohibitive, but city officials eventually crafted a plan. The goal of putting a residential developing in place of the dilapidated building is to stimulate economic growth in and drive additional business to Lithonia. Wendover joined in a complex partnership with the State of Georgia, Lithonia Downtown Development Authority, the City of Lithonia and Bainbridge GP LLC to bring the goal to fruition.

“After years of planning, Wendover’s Granite Crossing project is the first major step towards the City’s goal of transforming the downtown area,” said Lithonia Mayor Deborah A. Jackson. “The addition of housing in the Lithonia Plaza will bring new families as well as complement the existing retail and help to foster new business growth and development in the city.”